Junior School News & Sport

• Year 5 - Interrelate Program
• Term 4 Assessment Schedules
• 'Peaceful Kids' - A Mindfulness Program for Students
• Mentoring Program
• Sporting Information

Junior School News

YEAR 5 - INTERRELATE

Today all year 5 students began their personal development unit which will conclude in a second session this Friday. The program is being run by Interrelate and is an introduction to this topic for the boys, which will continue in Year 6. This program aims to:

• Develop students’ understanding about how relationships can change during puberty, including their right to privacy
• Develop students’ skills to deal with emotional and personal safety issues in their relationships
• Develop students’ conflict resolution skills
• Develop students’ understanding of male and female development

It is also important to note that this program includes a take home workbook to encourage parental involvement. This is a great opportunity to start a conversation at home.

TERM 4 ASSESSMENT SCHEDULES

Both the Year 5 and Year 6 assessment schedules have been uploaded to the Portal this week. It is a busy term so it would be a good idea to remind your son to take a look and see what is coming up.

Ms S Iwatani - Junior School Coordinator

PEACEFUL KIDS

A Mindfulness Program for Students

During Term 4 there will be an opportunity to run a Mindfulness and Positive Psychology based program to lessen anxiety and stress and increase resilience in our students.

Initially, this PILOT program will be made available to students in Years 5 and 6 with the intention of rolling out the program to our senior students in 2017.

'Peaceful Kids' has been created to fulfil a need in schools to offer all students who suffer from anxiety a developmentally appropriate program that gives your sons the skills, practice and support to utilise coping skills that lesson the symptoms of anxiety and stress.  At the same time it will help build their emotional resilience so they are better equipped to deal with the day to day stresses that life brings them.

In brief, the aims of the Peaceful Kids Program are:

• to minimise the symptoms of anxiety and stress
• to build emotional resilience
• to empower your sons to self-manage their anxiety
• to teach students mindfulness exercises they can use for life
• to build a reservoir of 'strength' to enable your sons to cope with life more effectively
• to teach your sons to self-calm
• to support your sons so they know they are not alone in suffering from anxiety.

Due to the possible high demand of prospective students wishing to participate in this program, the following selection  criteria has been agreed upon by our School Counsellors:

• a student who has been seen by an external psychologist /child psychiatrist / counsellor
• a student who has been seen by one of the counselling team during 2015/2016
• any other student who has experienced significant high stress levels and is unable to   cope at school/home.

Finally, my vision for the implementation of this mindfulness program is to see it become a whole-school project where ALL students are given a similar opportunity to learn and become empowered with the techniques of mindfulness.

Parents and teachers will also be given an opportunity to become familiar with this program in the months ahead so that there is a broader commitment to supporting the strategies of mindfulness at home and during school lessons.

If you believe your son is a candidate for this Year 5 and Year 6 program (two separate groups) please email Mr Rick Russo rrusso@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au or Ms Judy Gill jgill@stpiusx.nsw.edu.au by this Friday 14th October (or Monday 17th October at the latest). Any parents who wish to receive further information on this MindMatters initiative are welcome to make contact so that we can work together in implementing these ideas across the whole school community.

MENTORING PROGRAM

The start of Term 4 sees the recommencement of our additional support program for students in Years 5, 6 and 7 with the induction of new senior mentors in years 10 and 11 becoming available as we transtion students into the 2017 school year.

In brief, our mentoring program is a voluntary 'buddy' support initiative, set up to provide younger students in need of additional social/emotional guidance with an opportunity to meet regularly with his senior mentor.  These meetings are held during lunch on a weekly basis, usually in the prayer garden.  Additionally, outdoor experiences such as bushwalking, paddleboarding, canoeing, beach walk/swimming and the very popular rockclimbing and trampolining are also made available to enhance and support the students' relationships.

Please email Mr Rick Russo if you would like any further information on this program or would like to discuss the possible inclusion of your son in this initiative.

Next Mentoring Activities:

Rockclimbing:  Friday 28th October from 3.30 to 5.00pm at Climbfit Artarmon

Buddies Beach Walk:  Friday 25th November from 2.30 to 6.00pm at Dee Why Beach

Mr R Russo - College Counsellor

Junior School Sport

Thursday Sport:  at Oxford Falls. Summer training continues for Basketball, Cricket, Softball and Tennis.

Term 4 Swim Program:  All students will take part in this program. It runs as per the schedule above in lieu of regular Thursday Sport. Year 5 attend Macquarie Uni Aquatic Centre for a pool based program and Year 6 attend Dee Why Beach for a surf skills program. All details including a detailed information letter (all boys) and Waiver (Year 6 boys only) can be found under Junior Swimming on the College website: http://bit.ly/1uGgCM0

Swim Squad:  The swim season resumes this Term with two more Invitational Carnivals for the Squad (Trinity on the 4th November and St Patrick’s on the 11th November). More details to follow closer to the date for those concerned.

Basketball:

Mr G Virgona - Junior School Sportsmaster